HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – The Hill County Park Board met on Monday evening for their regular monthly meeting.
The Board approved a bid of around $16,000 from Boyce Construction for the posts for the south cross fence. All posts will be wood, except where steel is needed in places where would can’t go through rock. The fence will feature four strand barbed wire. The project is being paid for through the ranchers’ land management fund.
The fence will split the roughly 3,300 acre south pasture of Beaver Creek Park into two to allow for more even grazing of the area. It will feature a cattle guards where it crosses the Beaver Creek Highway and Alkali Springs Road, and a walk-through gate where it crosses Bear Paw Nature Trail. The Board has yet to approve bids for the cattle guards. The hope is for the project to be completed in time for this year’s grazing season, which begins after labor day.
Water Chemistry Report
During the meeting, MSU-Northern Professor Dr. Terri Hildebrand presented a draft report of water chemistry results for Beaver Creek and connected drainages between June 2019 and October 2020.
The draft report does not include surveys of first and second lake. That information will be provided in the near future.
The draft results of the survey showed high levels of phosphorus in the creek, particularly during the 2020 growing season (June-October). During this period, levels of total phosphorus were over the recommended levels for surface waters (0.11 mg/L) for all sampling sites.
Hildebrand said she can’t pinpoint the exact cause of the high levels, but suggested high manure loads from the creek and drainages as one potential culprit. Hildebrand said high phosphorus levels in creeks and lakes make algae “grow like crazy,” and deplete oxygen levels in the creek, harming the ecosystem.
This leads to harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the water when weather is warm. HABs are capable of producing toxins that can make humans and animals sick, and have been known to cause death in animals. They occur when the nutrient levels in the water are out of balance.
To increase the public’s awareness of HABs, Hildebrand and her research team are distributing a brief survey. This survey will help her team develop educational materials.
Hildebrand stated the purpose of her work is not to provide recommendations, but rather to inform the Park Board of current water chemistry and its impacts.
Other issues discussed at the meeting:
- The Board approved a temporary rule change that would allow the Bullhook Bottoms Black Powder Club to allow the use of firearms at Beaver Creek Park, provided all participants have park permits. This is for their 42nd rendezvous, which is scheduled for May 27th-June 1st. They will only use the park if they are unable to use their traditional spot at Fort Assiniboine due to COVID-19 restrictions. If the event does take place at the park, it will be near first lake far away from the highway. There will be signs up warning the public and the longest shooting competition would be 100 yards.
